2nd Grade Educator Named Mercer County Teacher Of The Year

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — On Thrusday, 21 educators were named the state’s 2022-2023 County Teachers of the Year by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).

The NJDOE named second-grade teacher Leigh Cline of Parkway Elementary School, Ewing Township School District, as Mercer County Teacher of the Year.

The County Teachers of the Year will network with educators throughout the state and serve as ambassadors for New Jersey’s public schools during the upcoming school year.

"I'm honored today to be recognized as Mercer County Teacher of the Year. This is a dream come true, having wanted to be a teacher since I was 4 years old," Cline said during the NJDOE virtual pre-recorded awards ceremony on Thursday.

She thanked her family, friends, colleagues, the school district and students.

Cline graduated from the College of New Jersey with a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. She has a master's degree in elementary education with supervisor and principal certifications.

She has been teaching at Parkway Elementary School for the past 19 years.

“With Leigh’s ‘go and get it done attitude’ and her ability to make students feel comfortable and valued in her classroom, it is no surprise that one who began at Parkway School as a student-teacher became Parkway’s Educator of the Year and now is the Mercer County Educator of the Year,” Principal Michelle Conway said in a statement.

In addition to teaching, Cline also participates in many committees at the school and helps with clubs and special events. She is the secretary for the Ewing Township Education Association, and volunteers with Mount Laurel Baseball Association, the Parkway PTO (in Mount Laurel), and the New Jersey Alliance for Social Emotional and Character Development.

"We are very proud of Mrs. Cline's impressive accomplishment and the Ewing Schools Community joins together in celebrating this achievement," Superintendent Michael Nitti said in a statement. "It is an honor for the Ewing Schools to have the Mercer County Educator of the Year on our team, and it is a testament to Mrs. Cline's abilities and dedication to her students."

A panel of educators will select the New Jersey State Teacher of the Year from among the 21 county teachers based on written applications, video submissions, and interviews with the top finalists.

The New Jersey State Teacher of the Year is typically announced at the State Board of Education’s October meeting and will go on to represent New Jersey in competing for the title of National Teacher of the Year.

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